


Medicate

by Geek_and_Nina



Series: Jemily One-shots [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/F, Inspired by Music, Medicate by Gabbie Hanna, PTSD, Song fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 11:31:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19375837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geek_and_Nina/pseuds/Geek_and_Nina
Summary: JJ has been having a hard time since whatever the most recent traumatic moment was





	Medicate

Emily knew, in her own head, how much Jennifer Jareau had lost. There was absolutely nothing she could do beyond being there for her friend and offer advice when she could. Emily only really knew what worked for herself and she’d never really recommended her methods to anyone else. They weren’t exactly ‘healthy’ methods. She wished she were capable of doing more.

Despite everything their team had seen and been through, despite everything she had overcome herself, Emily would always call JJ the strongest of them all. Those even blue eyes never wavered and her smile in front of the camera never faltered when she was called upon to fill her own shoes as the media liaison. Emily still saw wear, tear and the ragged ends left on JJ by the life they led. She wouldn’t ever know or understand anyone as well as the BAU, did one another.

“How are you doing, Cheeto?” Emily asked, sitting on the plane bench beside the blonde woman. JJ had a far-away look in her eyes and only blinked blearily back at Emily as she pulled herself out of her reverie. Emily knew that look well. She’d seen it in the mirror on more than one occasion after she had been ‘killed’, and for a long time after. She held her hand out and open for JJ to take if she wanted. It was an unspoken offer, not a demand of any kind.

Not for the first time, JJ surprised Emily. She grabbed the hand and pulled it around her own shoulders to edge closer to Emily. JJ leaned back into the other woman and accepted the comfort. JJ’s eyes were dark. Emily’s concern only grew.

“When was the last time you slept, JJ?” Emily asked gently, doing her best to not draw too much attention to their conversation. The other woman made for a solid and warm weight against Emily, though her eyes had lost some of their usual bright spark.

“Night before last, I think I fell asleep with Henry when I put him down for his nap.” JJ mumbled, massaging her face with the heels of her hands roughly. “It was about two hours before I woke up out of some terrible nightmare. I don’t really remember it. I was just glad I didn’t wake him up.”

“We have a long flight. Do you want something to help you sleep? I’ll be here with you the whole time. I don’t really know how else to help. You just clearly aren’t okay.” Emily’s voice broke lowly as she pulled the small container of pills out of her jacket pocket and retrieved two for JJ. “I’ve been on them since… well, I’m sure you can guess since when.”

“You’ll stay right here. The whole time?” JJ asked, picking the pills up out of Emily’s hand and looking at them closely. She pulled her pillow out of one of her suitcases and set it into Emily’s lap when the raven-haired woman nodded her agreement. JJ swallowed the pills down across the long couch so many members of the team had napped on throughout their many years as a team.

Emily combed her fingers through JJ’s hair until the other woman’s exhaustion and the pills kicked in. Jennifer Jareau’s jaw fell open and she drooled a bit. Somehow, Emily still found her moment adorable. When she’d first undergone her ordeal, before going undercover across the pond, these were the only way she could sleep, and sleeping had become her favorite part of the day. Emily knew it wasn’t okay to medicate her pain and trauma away, but at the time it had been the only coping method made available to her.

Emily wanted more than that for JJ. She wanted only the best for the woman who had been there for her through everything. JJ had been the only one to know Emily had actually been alive and on mission the whole time. She had been pretty much all that kept Emily sane in that time. She would likely never know how much she had truly done for the woman who now led the BAU. JJ did deserve to know, but Emily didn’t have words necessary to tell her.

There was a lot she wanted to tell JJ, really. Emily knew better than to say anything now.. At this moment, she was completely content where she was. JJ was with her and that was all she needed. She would never let anything happen to the blonde woman again. Not that she thought JJ needed a protector, as the best shot on their team and one of the better at hand-to-hand combat.

Now was definitely not the right time, but one day when things were better she would. From across the plane, Reid caught Emily's eyes and gave her a small, tight smile. She gave him a short nod as well, along with a twist of her lips in an attempt at a smile. Emily wondered if she really was as painfully obvious as she felt. Approval from Spencer Reid was kind of nice.


End file.
